Stop-cock box for water or gas pipes



(No Modem' C. F. BINGHAM.

STOP COCK BOX FOR WATER 0R GAS PIPES. NO. 368,372.

lPaman'ed Aug. 16, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT Ormea.,

CHARLES F. BINGHAM, OF BUFFALO," NEV YORK.

STOP-COCK BOX FOR WATER OR GAS PIPES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 368,372, dated August16, 1887.

(No model.)

To aZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Crmnrns F. BINGHAM, of the city of Buffalo, in thecounty of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Stop-Cock Boxes for Vater or Gas Pipes, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to the tubular boxes or casings which are'employed in connection with water, gas, and other pipes for the purposeof affording access to the cocks which are arranged in these pipes belowthe surface of the ground. These boxes or casings consist usually of twotubular parts so connected that the upper part can be verticallyadjusted on the lower part as may be necessary to place the top of thebox about on a level with the surface of the ground. In many localitiesthese boxes are placed in the streets, where heavy wagons pass over thesame, and, as the connection between the two parts of the box is rigid,the pressure of a loaded vehicle pass` ing over the box is liable toforce thebox down in the ground, together with the gas or water pipeover which it is placed, thereby causing leaks. Another difficultyexperienced in the use of these boxes is that they are often raisedabove the ground by the frost.

The object of my invention is to overcome these difficulties; and itconsists of the improvement which will be hereinafter fully described,and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional elevation of myimproved stopcock box. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section in line :v x, Fig.l. Fig. 3 is a vertical section in line y y, Fig. l.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several iigures.

A represents the lower part of the tubular box, provided with the usualfoot, a, which straddles the pipe over which it is placed.

B represents the upper part of the box, pro.1 vided with a cover, b, ofany suitable construction.

c is an internal screwthread formed in the upper part, B.

D represents a spiral spring which is coiled around the upper portionofthe lower part, A,

and which engages with the screw-thread cof the upper part, B, so as tosupport the latter. `The lower portion of the upper part, B, surroundsthe upper portion of the lower part, A, and the spring D. The latter hasvertical play in the screw-thread e, so that the upper part, B, can bedepressed by compressing the spring. rlhe lower end,d,of the latter isbent inwardly, as represented in Figs. 2 and 3, and engages in avertical slot, e, formed in the lower part, A, and rests on the bottomof said slot, as represented in Fig. 1, when the parts are in theirnormal position.

The upper part, B, of the box can be raised or lowered on the lowerpart, A, in substantially the same manner as if both parts wereconnected by any of the usual connecting devices.

lVhen a heavy load passes over the box, the upper part, B, yields bycompressing the spring, thus preventing the pressure from being directlytransmitted to the lower part. This prevents hard shocks from falling onthe lower part of the box, which would disarrange the service-pipes.Vhen the frost lifts the upper part, B, of the box, the lower end of thespring rises in the vertical slot c of the lower part, A, therebypreventing the lower part from being raised, and when the action of thefrost ceases the upper part and the spring settle back to their normalposition.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with the upper and lowerparts of the box, one of which parts is provided with a screw thread, ofa spiral spring attached to the other part and engaging with saidscrew-thread, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the lower part, A, provided with a verticalslot, c, of the upper part, B, provided with an internal screwthread, c,and aspiral spring, D, engaging with said screw-thread and seated in theslot of the lower part, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 9th day of April,1887.

CHARLES F. BlNGHAM. Vitnesses:

JN0. J. BoNNnn, CARL F. GEYER.

